The Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials (the AMA Land Speed Grand Championship and FIM Land Speed World Records) are slated for August 24-29, 2024 - weather permitting. They were called off in 2023, 2022 and 2015 due to flooding and in 2020 due to Covid; www.bonnevillemst.com
Just after MotoGP and WorldSBK rights owner Dorna (Madrid, Spain) announced that it had sold its soul to Colorado based Formula One owner Liberty Media, 297,471 fans made MotoGP history at Le Mans with the 2024 Michelin Grand Prix de France breaking the all-time record to become the best-attended MotoGP event in history. The prior record was also set at Le Mans, in 2023, when 278,471 fans joined MotoGP to celebrate the 1000th Grand Prix.
Six-time AMA Motocross National champion Broc Glover has been named Grand Marshal to headline AMA's centennial celebration Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Yamaha - July 26-28 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Regarded as the "Golden Boy" of the golden years of professional motocross, Glover, a Yamaha legend and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, will serve as the event's Grand Marshal, engraining himself in a three-day long celebration of all things vintage motorcycling.
AMA reports that the City of Colorado has signed 'motorcycle lane-filtering legislation into Law, joining California, Utah, Montana and Arizona as states that permit the practice.
The apparently endless torrent of battery breakthrough news continues with reports that a new material could be included in lithium batteries to allow them to perform dramatically better: charging up much more quickly and working, even at extreme temperatures, all the way down to -80 degrees C. Using organic solvents to upgrade the electrolyte in the battery, to a material known as fluoroacetonitrile, appears to dramatically improve how they operate. Most existing lithium battery designs use a lithium salt solution. The new research "opens up avenues for developing a next generation of lithium-ion batteries. What's more, the breakthrough could allow for new kinds of energy-storage systems that, unlike our current lithium-based technology, rely instead on sodium, potassium and other kinds of ions."
Harley reiterated its "strong history of diversity and firm commitment to continued progress" in a recent SEC filing, citing the H-D board as currently having racially/ethnically and gender diverse directors. "Diversity is ingrained in Harley-Davidson's culture as illustrated by our Board composition. For example, since 2016, two Board members, or 22% of our Board, have been gender diverse. Similarly, since 2017, our Board has continuously reflected racial/ethnic diversity with, at minimum, 22% of our Board being racially/ethnically diverse."
BMW Motorrad reported record unit sales of 209,257 motorcycles and scooters in 2023, +3.1% on its prior record in 2022. Its European, Asian, North and South American markets all saw new sales highs.
San Clemente, California based SP United USA Inc., (SP Connect - the fast-growing provider of smartphone cases and mounting systems) has appointed Ryan Lewis as National Sales Manager for the Powersports division of SP Connect. His career includes spending 20 years witnessing the rise and ultimate fall of the Motorcycle Aftermarket Group (MAG) at close quarters - spearheaded both Sales and Supply Chain operations at various stages for acquired subsidiaries such as Vance & Hines, PM and Progressive Suspension. He reports to Gerry Samer, Global Sales Manager of SP Connect; www.sp-connect.com
Stefan Pierer continues his inexorable march towards global Powered Two-Wheeler (PTW) industry domination with news that PIERER Mobility ('PM' - aka 'KTM') is partnering with the well thought of Chinese made Zeeho electric scooter brand. Owned by Chinese giant and PM/KTM partner CF Moto, CFMOTO Motorcycles Distribution GmbH - an entity of PIERER Mobility AG - is to assume responsibility for importing and distributing Zeeho products across five key markets: UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain; www.zeehoeu.com
